The Neighbourhood
Islington is a vibrant area serving as a cultural hub for wider North London.
It is well served by Angel Station (Northern Line) and Highbury & Islington (Victoria Line and Overground) with direct bus routes to most of central London. The City of London is within walking distance.
There is a great range of amenities around Angel Station including several large supermarkets, a rarity in Zone 1. Camden Passage’s independent businesses, tucked away behind Upper Street are popular with both tourists and locals. The lively arts scene includes numerous theatres such as The Almeida and The Old Red Lion pub theatre.
A drawback for some is the lack of a single green space on the scale of a Royal Park. However, there are several publicly owned pocket parks such as Duncan Terrace Gardens while Regent’s Canal has great walks to West and East London.
The Market
In recent years, Islington has outperformed the wider London market but it remains significantly cheaper than Prime Central London.
N1’s average price per square foot is circa £1,000. However with its wide mix of housing, from local authority flats to grand Georgian townhouses, this isn’t a particularly useful metric. The highest sales are circa £1,700 per sq ft with some vendors discretely selling off market. At the other end of the market well located and proportioned ex-council housing is available for £500,000.
‘Prime Islington’ can be broadly divided into three areas. Barnsbury, situated West of Upper Street, is the largest. Townhouses on garden squares outperform the market. The most striking is perhaps Lonsdale Square with its dramatic Tudor Gothic Revival architecture. Closer to Regent’s Canal, St Peter’s Ward is another haven from the bustle of Angel with a great selection of local pubs. Further North, Canonbury almost has a rural feel while conversely being the best connected with quick access to central London via the Victoria Line. Canonbury Square, once home to George Orwell, is a highlight with the grander homes achieving in excess of £5m.
In terms of new builds, Islington Square performs strongly as it is rare to have a sizeable new build in N1 where maximum heights and design are strictly controlled. Planning is more relaxed between Angel and Old Street tube stations with several residential skyscrapers on City Road. Time will tell if their premium holds on the second hand market.
Elsewhere, De Beauvoir Town has wide tree-lined streets, especially Northchurch Road. It was one of London’s first Low Traffic Neighbourhoods since the 1970s which lends a tranquil feeling. De Beauvoir Square has fascinating architecture in the Dutch style but the location is slightly awkward.
North of Upper Street, properties around Highbury Fields perform well and nearby Highbury Hill is perhaps one of London’s most underrated roads.
